Related Events

Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services has hosted innumerable classes, seminars and training sessions over the years. Now a $3.6 million Chapel/Conference Center is under construction to provide a space tailor-made for learning and worship.

"We are building this in response to community feedback for providing improved, quality educational experiences in a modern facility for our staff and professionals throughout West Michigan," said Dr. Mark Eastburg, president and CEO of Pine Rest.

"Behavioral health professionals have come to rely on and trust Pine Rest to bring in national and international expertise for trainings. The Chapel/Conference Center also will enhance the staff, consumer and resident worship experience as it reaffirms Pine Rest's commitment to this important practice."

The Mulder Center's gymnasium on Pine Rest's campus at 300 68th St. SE in Cutlerville is being demolished to make room for the 15,500-square-foot building. Medical units and administrative offices in the Mulder Center won't be affected by the construction.

The general contractor is Pioneer Construction; Integrated Architects will provide plans and drawings.

The center is designed with maximum flexibility in mind. A main auditorium will seat 250 at tables or 500 in individual seats. The space will have the ability to be divided into four conference rooms for smaller training sessions.

A vestibule and lobby will welcome people, along with walls devoted to Pine Rest's history and donors, a coat room, two sets of restrooms, a multi-purpose conference room, art gallery, business center, catering kitchen, storage, office space, mechanical mezzanine and a chapel. The main space will have an undulating ceiling that compresses the room upon entry and then rises as it approaches the facility's focal point. The business center will have counters with stools, power and data connections for laptops, personal digital assistants and cell phones for use before meetings, during breaks and after meetings.

The exterior will be a mix of pre-patina copper panels, brick, painted metal panels, wood and stained glass. The stained glass is meant to draw a connection to the original chapel and to allow color and light to add to the worship experience. The stained glass windows will be placed in a way that reflects the placement of notes on printed music sheets.

Pine Rest intends to seek LEED certification for the building.

Construction is funded by donations and pledges from the community and Pine Rest staff members to Capital Campaign 2006.

Over the past three years, Pine Rest has invested $8.4 million in six construction projects: $54,500 for a teen girls' locked residential unit; $2.5 million for an inpatient child and adolescent unit; $588,500 for an older adult Dementia Living Center; $58,500 for an addictions detoxification unit; $4.9 million for a boys' and girls' teen locked residential building; and $393,000 for the Rustic Market thrift store.

The new center will host Clinical Pastoral Education, the Pine Rest Professional Lecture Series, the Institute for Spiritual Care and Family Institute workshops. These programs are provided for community-wide physicians, nurses, clergy, teachers, police officers, psychologists, social workers, activity therapists and mental health professionals. Behavioral health professionals are required to have clinical accreditation for re-licensure to practice in Michigan. — Elizabeth Slowik

Restricted Content

About GRBJ

Since 1983, the Grand Rapids Business Journal has been West Michigan's primary and most-trusted source of local business news. The weekly print edition of the Business Journal, a must-read for the area’s top decision-makers, is known as the business newspaper of metro Grand Rapids, Holland, Muskegon and all of West Michigan.

grbj.com provides the same trusted and objective business reporting that the Business Journal is known for -- plus real-time original content, timely enewsletters/alerts, exclusive blogs and more. Business Journal subscribers receive the weekly print edition, including bonus publications like the annual Book of Lists, and also complete access to all content on grbj.com.

The Grand Rapids Business Journal is published by Gemini Publications.